Extending Your Reach – Syndication Of Your Web Content

Extending Your Reach – Syndication Of Your Web Content

The short answer: probably not. However it is a very good idea to know what the rules are as defined (or in this case, loosely defined) regarding the relationship between you as an affiliate marketer and the audience you are pitching to. The FTC came up with a new set of Guides for affiliate marketers last October in an effort to provide some guidance in an otherwise unregulated marketplace. The guides are not laws, but serve as a template for marketers who need to comply with truth in advertising concepts.



The FTC Fact Sheet states:



The revised Guides – issued after public comment and consumer research – reflect three basic truth-in-advertising principles:



*  Endorsements must be truthful and not misleading;



*  If the advertiser doesn’t have proof that the endorser’s experience represents what consumers will achieve by using the product, the ad must clearly and conspicuously disclose the generally expected results in the depicted circumstances; and



*  If there’s a connection between the endorser and the marketer of the product that would affect how people evaluate the endorsement, it should be disclosed.



What this is all about is making sure there are no untrue claims, and that if you are being paid to promote a product, whether by receiving payment, free products, or an affiliate commission, that relationship needs to be fully disclosed, and it can’t be a ten word statement in fine print at the bottom of your About Me page. It needs to be where people can reasonably expect to find it.



This really isn’t as onerous as some are making it  out to be. Common sense seems to be prevailing, and so far there has been only one action, and that was a warning letter. Rumors of fines for bloggers who have undisclosed affiliate banners are false, but we believe you should be armed, so here are a few resources, two straight from the FTC.



Good article on the whole situation from the The Citizen’s Media Law Center



FTC Fact Sheet



FTC Revised Endorsement and Testimonial Guides



You should take some time and look over these resources. There are many real-world examples that lay out precisely what works and what doesn’t. While the sky doesn’t appear to be falling just yet, it’s a very good idea to keep an eye on the weather!

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/dv5l